Singapore More Than Doubles ONE Pass Holders

Singapore's Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass population rose from about 3,600 in December 2023 to 8,500 in December 2025, more than doubling in two years. Around 70% of holders are employed in financial and insurance services, information and communications, and professional services. The increase should not, however, be treated as an equivalent inflow of new migrants: separate official data show that only about one in six ONE Passes issued in 2024 went to new entrants.

Singapore's ONE Pass population reaches 8,500

Singapore is expanding the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass, or ONE Pass, its personalised work pass for top international talent across business, arts and culture, sports, academia and research. First-time passes can be valid for up to five years and are not tied to a single employer.

The number of holders increased from around 3,600 in December 2023 to 6,300 in December 2024 and 8,500 in December 2025, according to figures released in a parliamentary answer dated August 5, 2026. The 8,500 figure is therefore the latest disclosed year-end count, not an August 2026 stock figure.

Bloomberg highlighted the more-than-doubling on August 7, focusing on the S$30,000 monthly income threshold associated with the programme. That description captures the main salary route but not the entire framework, since applicants with outstanding achievements in selected fields can qualify without meeting the S$30,000 test.

The main salary route requires S$30,000 a month

Under the principal eligibility route, applicants must have earned at least S$30,000 in fixed monthly salary, or its foreign-currency equivalent, for the 12 consecutive months before applying.

For an overseas employment record, the relevant employer generally must qualify as an established company, defined as having either a market capitalisation of at least US$500 million or annual revenue of at least US$200 million.

Candidates can alternatively apply on the basis of prospective employment in Singapore if they will receive at least S$30,000 in fixed monthly salary from an established Singapore-based company. Applications under this route should be submitted when the job is due to start within six months.

Where a candidate has been paid by multiple employers, the qualifying S$30,000 fixed monthly salary must normally come from one employer rather than being assembled by adding several smaller salaries together. Other income sources may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The S$30,000 requirement is not universal

Singapore also has an outstanding-achievement route. Candidates can apply without meeting the salary criterion if they have exceptional achievements in sports, arts and culture, academia or research.

Those applications are assessed holistically together with the relevant government agencies. ONE Pass should therefore not be described solely as a scheme for highly paid financial or corporate executives.

Existing pass holders using the Singapore employment route generally need to have worked in the country for at least one year. Those with shorter Singapore employment records may instead be assessed under the overseas route using their prior employment history where applicable.

Three sectors account for about 70% of holders

About 70% of ONE Pass holders work in financial and insurance services, information and communications, and professional services.

The government has also identified expertise among holders in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and biomedical sciences. Tech.Pass numbers, by comparison, have averaged only around 200 over the past three years and are concentrated mainly in information and communications.

The official assessment says ONE Pass holders contribute skills, leadership experience and international networks. The parliamentary disclosure does not, however, provide a comprehensive quantitative estimate of jobs created, investment generated, tax revenue or productivity attributable specifically to the programme.

Holder growth is not the same as new immigration

About 3,000 ONE Passes were issued in 2024, and approximately one in six went to new entrants. Singapore has explicitly said that conversions by existing work-pass holders can help anchor talent already in the country.

The data do not justify assuming that every remaining recipient was necessarily a conversion from an Employment Pass or another specific category because that detailed breakdown was not disclosed in the parliamentary response. What can be concluded is that growth in the number of ONE Pass holders cannot be mapped one-for-one onto new foreign arrivals.

The programme consequently functions as both a recruitment and retention instrument.

ONE Pass gives holders unusual employment flexibility

ONE Pass holders can concurrently start, operate and work for multiple companies, subject to their contractual obligations. They do not have to obtain a new ONE Pass each time they change jobs.

There is no foreign-worker quota or levy for the pass. Holders are also exempt from the Complementarity Assessment Framework, or COMPASS, and from Fair Consideration Framework job-advertising requirements.

Those features distinguish ONE Pass from the standard Employment Pass, which remains the much larger professional work-pass category in Singapore.

Family members receive broader options

Legally married spouses can obtain Dependant's Passes and may apply for a Letter of Consent to work in Singapore. Recognised common-law spouses can receive Long-Term Visit Passes and may also seek a Letter of Consent.

Unmarried children under 21 can generally qualify for Dependant's Passes, while certain unmarried disabled adult children, stepchildren under 21 and parents may qualify for Long-Term Visit Passes.

The family provisions make the programme more suitable for longer-term relocation than a work status focused solely on an individual employee.

Renewal after five years is conditional

First-time ONE Passes can last for up to five years, and subsequent renewals can also be granted for up to five years. Renewal is not automatic.

A holder must either have earned an average fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000 over the preceding five years in Singapore or have started and be operating a Singapore-based company employing at least five locals, each earning no less than the prevailing Employment Pass minimum qualifying salary.

The rules effectively give the authorities an opportunity to assess a holder's economic activity after the initial five-year period.

ONE Pass does not automatically confer permanent residence

ONE Pass holders are eligible to apply for Singapore permanent residence, but PR is a separate application rather than an automatic benefit attached to the work pass.

That distinction matters for professionals considering ONE Pass as a long-term migration route: a renewable five-year work pass can provide stability, but it does not itself guarantee permanent status.

Singapore will launch an AI and Tech track in 2027

A dedicated ONE Pass track for artificial intelligence and technology talent will be introduced in January 2027 and will replace Tech.Pass.

The new framework will allow part of the S$30,000 monthly qualifying remuneration to consist of vested non-cash compensation. Applicants must receive at least S$22,500 in fixed monthly salary, with the balance potentially made up through assessed components such as employee stock options or share ownership.

Candidates must also have at least five cumulative years of relevant experience, gained within the preceding 10 years, as a founder or C-suite executive or in a technical role such as senior software engineering. Their employment must be connected to a technology company, a technology division or a technology venture-capital firm.

Company-level tests include thresholds such as US$500 million in valuation or market capitalisation, US$200 million in annual revenue, or US$500 million in assets under management. Technology companies that have raised at least US$30 million may also qualify under the framework.

Singapore's Economic Development Board says new and renewal Tech.Pass applications will stop being accepted from January 28, 2027. Existing holders can remain until their approved passes expire.

ONE Pass remains small beside the wider foreign workforce

Singapore had 203,300 Employment Pass holders at the end of December 2025, compared with 8,500 ONE Pass holders in the latest disclosed ONE Pass snapshot. The total foreign workforce across the main categories stood at about 1.636 million.

The regular Employment Pass currently starts at S$5,600 per month for most sectors, with a higher S$6,200 minimum in financial services and progressively higher thresholds for older applicants.

From January 2027, the base thresholds for new Employment Pass applications will rise to S$6,000 in most sectors and S$6,600 in financial services. The gap underscores the much narrower, upper-end target group for the S$30,000 ONE Pass.

Hong Kong is competing for the same global talent pool

Singapore's expansion comes as other Asian business hubs intensify talent recruitment. Hong Kong's Top Talent Pass Scheme covers high-income applicants as well as bachelor's-degree graduates from designated top universities.

The Hong Kong government said in March 2026 that the programme had received more than 150,000 applications over the preceding three years and approved more than 120,000. The numbers are not directly comparable with ONE Pass because Hong Kong's eligibility structure encompasses a substantially broader population.

As International Investment experts report, the rise from 3,600 to 8,500 ONE Pass holders demonstrates demand for a flexible work status that is less dependent on a single employer, but it should not be interpreted as an equivalent increase in newly arriving international talent. The more meaningful long-term measures will be renewal rates, companies and local jobs created by holders, investment and tax contributions, and Singapore's ability to retain these specialists after their initial five-year period.

FAQ: Singapore ONE Pass in 2026

What is Singapore ONE Pass?

The Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass is a personalised work pass for top international talent in business, arts and culture, sports, academia and research. First-time passes can be valid for up to five years.

How many ONE Pass holders are there?

The latest number disclosed in the August 2026 parliamentary answer was 8,500 as of December 2025, compared with 6,300 in December 2024 and around 3,600 in December 2023.

Does everyone need to earn S$30,000 a month?

No. S$30,000 is the principal salary criterion, but candidates with outstanding achievements in sports, arts and culture, academia or research can qualify without meeting it.

Can ONE Pass holders work for multiple companies?

Yes. Holders can start, operate and work for multiple companies and do not need to obtain a new ONE Pass when changing jobs.

Can family members move to Singapore?

Yes. Eligible spouses, children, common-law partners and parents can obtain the relevant family passes. Spouses and recognised common-law partners may apply for permission to work.

Does ONE Pass automatically lead to permanent residence?

No. Holders are eligible to apply for permanent residence, but PR is assessed through a separate application.

How can a ONE Pass be renewed?

A holder must generally satisfy either the average S$30,000 monthly salary condition over five years in Singapore or the business route involving a Singapore company with at least five qualifying local employees.

What changes for AI and technology talent in 2027?

Singapore will launch a dedicated ONE Pass AI and Tech track. It will allow qualifying remuneration to include certain vested stock-based compensation, provided fixed monthly cash salary is at least S$22,500 and total qualifying remuneration reaches at least S$30,000.